Tag Archives: chitosan

Proactol Plus, now also called Proactol XS, is an over the counter weight loss supplement. It has marketed itself extensively throughout the internet and it does have its own official website. This has allowed it to include itself among the ranks of some of the top diet pills within the fat blocker category of the nonprescription diet supplement market. Though this does not necessarily mean that it has been proven to work, it does suggest that there is something about this product that is working in its favor, and that it may be worth looking into before making a purchase.

This type of product is also known as a fat binder. These pills have been made to contain ingredients that will adhere to the fat molecules found in food that has been consumed by the dieter. By bonding to them in that way, it makes the molecules too large for the body to be able to absorb them. Therefore, they remain undigested and leave the body with the rest of the waste.

The official website for Proactol Plus claims that this diet pill goes above and beyond fat binding and acts as an appetite suppressant, as well. At the time that this review was written, the claim was that these pills worked by reducing fats absorbed by the body in a method that has been “backed by over 40 studies”. That said, not one of those studies was actually identified on the website through a title, a name of the organization that conducted them, the journal in which they were published, how many participants there were, or even if placebos techniques were used. This renders the claim all but useless to someone considering this product, as those studies could have been conducted by the manufacturer, itself on tiny, non-representative groups of people.

The Proactol Plus appears to have undergone a change, over the last while. Though the original marketing for this product had discussed the merits of opuntia ficus indica as one of its ingredients, that substance doesn’t appear to be listed among the ingredients in the product, anymore. It seems that the formula is made up of chitosan (biopolymer N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and D-glucosamine) that has been extracted from aspergillus niger mycelium.

Unfortunately, according to the Mayo Clinic, that ingredient – while unlikely to be dangerous – has not been adequately studied to be able to make solid claims about its potential benefits in the form of a diet pill. This calls into question, once again, the value of the forty studies that this product mentions on its website.

Proshape RX is among the dozens, if not hundreds of nonprescription weight loss pills that are based on the greatly hyped ingredient, hoodia gordonii. This is among the ingredients that has grown in popularity the most quickly among all diet pill substances, which is surprising, in itself due to the great competition in this industry, but it is also shocking because this ingredient does not have any clinical evidence to support claims that it helps with weight loss or that it is even safe for human use.

The primary basis for the claims that Proshape RX and other over the counter diet supplements make regarding this ingredient is from its traditional use by bushmen in South Africa who used it to keep hunger down when they were headed out on long hunting trips and into the desert.

Other ingredients in Proshape RX include chitosan, white kidney bean, beet root, white willow bark, L-methionine, fenugreek, and green tea leaf. This list does not generate any greater confidence in an experienced shopper for diet pills. The reason is that there are a number of extremely common ingredients in this product and the majority of them are not proven to provide any weight loss benefit.

White kidney bean, for example, is often found in products that claim to suppress the body’s ability to absorb carbohydrates. However, this ingredient has never been shown to have this effect in any reputable medical studies. The only thing that this substance could provide is some fiber, which – in large quantities – help to shrink the appetite, but there is no indication that there is enough fiber in this product to make a difference.

White willow bark should be used with great care as it has several properties that are similar to aspirin and could therefore be unsafe for people with a number of different types of medical conditions. Moreover, it is known to conflict with many medications as well as other supplements and over the counter pills.

The official Proshape RX website claims that the use of this product will help to achieve safe and rapid weight loss and that the pounds will start to come away within two to three weeks from having started the use of the product. It is meant to be taken three times per day, with one pill being swallowed before every meal. According to the official website, it can be ordered directly from the site, or through a telephone number provided on the website.

The Vitabase Fat Blocker provides clear claims about what it says that it will provide to dieters. It states that it will assist in blocking the absorption and storage of fat, making it easier for a dieter to be able to lose weight. Moreover, it also claims that certain food sugars can also be blocked through the use of this product.

Though it claims that it is “Dr Passero Approved”, at the time of this review, it had not mentioned any specific clinical studies to support the claims of the entire formula or to indicate that any of the individual ingredients can provide the type of outcomes that it claims. That said, upon researching the main ingredients in the formula, it does look as though two of them might have some impact on weight loss. The problem is that the official website does not reveal how much of each ingredient is contained within the formula, so it is not possible to verify whether enough has been used in order to produce the potential benefits.

The main ingredients in the Vitabase Fat Blocker are: Vitamin C, Vitamin B2, Gymnema Sylvestre, Garcinia Cambogia and Chitosan. The vitamins in this formula are contained in low doses (for example, only 25 milligrams of Vitamin C), but they are not the main contributors to the formula. Vitamin C, for example, is a healthy antioxidant but it is not associated with any form of weight loss benefit. B vitamins are known to help to help with food metabolism and frequently passed through the body quite quickly so this may provide some benefit, in theory.

Gymnema sylvestre, assuming that it is used in an adequate quantity, could help to regulate blood glucose levels. This doesn’t directly lead to weight loss, but it can help to avoid blood glucose spikes and drops that often result in shaky motivation and food cravings. Chitosan is an ingredient that has some potential in this formula, if used properly, as it has been shown to have some appetite suppressing benefits in certain small, short-term studies. It is a type of fiber, and when taken with enough water, it can help to provide the body with a fuller feeling. Garcinia cambogia was once considered to be a very powerful fat burner. It acts as a stimulant which can help to shrink the appetite. The problem is that it needs to be taken in massive quantities to be effective, as it is weaker than regular caffeine.

The Accuslim Fat Blocker is marketed as a diet supplement that gives you the ability to eat what you want without having to feel guilty. The official website for the product explains that fiber is the central element that should be considered for stopping the body from absorbing excess fat. It stated that fat becomes trapped before it can be taken in by the body to either be used as energy, or stored as body fat.

If this pill actually does as its manufacturers claim, it could mean that it could considerably reduce the number of calories that a dieter will take in from having consumed his or her foods in a day. As fats are typically very high in calories, by blocking a certain percentage of the total that is eaten from being used as energy (immediate or stored) it can help to keep caloric intake under control without having to sacrifice favorite foods.

However, the Accuslim Fat Blocker official website did not, at the time of this review, include the percentage of fat that will actually be blocked from being absorbed.

The website indicated that Liposan Ultra: Chitosan and vitamin C were the ingredients in the formula. Those two ingredients are all that makes up the product. Chitosan is a substance that is obtained from the shells of seafood such as crab and shrimp. According to the manufacturer, this substance is able to surround the fat that is consumed in the form of food, stopping it from being absorbed by the body, allowing the fat to progress right through the digestive system without being absorbed.

There are a number of studies that suggest that this claim may be true, though not to the point that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the substance for this purpose. The FDA feels strongly enough about this fact that it contacted eVitamins.com in 2004 with regards to two products that contained chitosan. The claims associated with those products were that they would bind to fat and therefore make it easier for users to lose weight. According to the FDA, there was inadequate scientific data to support these claims.

The manufacturers of Accuslim Fat Blocker claim that its product is easier to absorb than other supplements containing chitosan, so that it can be taken at mealtime without having to wait 30 minutes to an hour in advance. No link or reference to clinical or scientific research trials are made to indicate that this claim is true.